Announcements (hit the Refresh button on your browser to make sure that you are seeing the latest version of this page, and every other page on this website)


Dec 16, 2019
The results of the final exam, and your final points total and your grade for the class are now posted in the "Your Points" page. Click HERE. REMEMBER TO HIT REFRESH ON THE POINTS PAGE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE SEEING THE LATEST VERSION THAT IS DATED DECEMBER 16th 2019 (it is a large file, it may load slowly).

Now that the final points have been posted there is no way for you to change them, there is no extra credit, no way of changing any points for any reason, please do not ask. I have personally regraded all of the final exams for all students who were within 30 points of the grade cutoffs. There will be no further regrades. The only exceptions are if there has been a serious data entry error. If you find one then send me an email asap.

It has not escaped my attention that several of you have points totals that are close to the cutoffs, however, I have already looked at your final exams and I am very sorry, there are just no more points for you to earn. If this is you, I understand your frustration and you have my sympathy, but please remember that the majority of students who earned the higher grade scored more than 100 points more than you did.

If you want to look at your final exam you are allowed to do that, but University rules state that you cannot take it, I have to keep it for my records for 1 year. My break will be extremely busy and so although I will be on campus every day, I will not be available for meetings. The onl;y time I have this week is 4PM-5PM, this coming Wednesday, I will be in PS D-126 for you c=to coem and look at your exam. Otherwise you can do so at the beginning of next semester
You will also be able to look at your final exam at the beginning of next semester.

Many of you worked extremely hard in this class and I thank you for that. I very much enjoyed teaching this class this semester, and I enjoyed working with you all. I look forward to working with as many of you as possible next semester!

I hope that you all enjoy your break.

Dec 14, 2019
The Current Points page has been updated AGAIN, this time with your scores for all points except the final exam. PLEASE CHECK FOR ANY ERRORS!  More...
Dec 12, 2019
The deadline for completing the final homework survey is the end of the day today, Thursday December 12th.
Dec 9, 2019
Now that the exam is over, we invite you to participate in the final education research study of the semester. This one is connected to your organic chemistry homework site, We want to learn what you think if it and how to improve it. And so we have yet another survey. And yes, we know that some of the questions are similar to those you have seen in previous surveys! By completing the survey you will receive extra credit worth 1% of the total course points.

To complete the survey, Click HERE

Even if you don't think that you ned the extra credit, please complete the survey since we really need as many of you as possible to participate in order to collect useful data. Many thanks in advance for your help, your input will help tp make the homework system better for future students!

Dec 8, 2019
The last extra credit survey will be released tomorrow, after the final exam. The deadline for completing all homework problems will be 11:59PM, Wednesday December 11th,
Dec 8, 2019
Three topics that were not included in the review session yesterday that you will ned to know are 1. Solving spectroscopy problems, 2. Writing mechanisms and energy diagrams for the alkene reactions, and 3. Understanding the trends for nucleophilicity, leaving group ability and solvent effects on SN2 reactions in terms of energy diagrams, i,e, pages 6-10 of the halides notes.
Dec 7, 2019
To see a recording of today's review session, Click HERE.
Dec 7, 2019
The final extra credit survey will be released AFTER the final exam, towards the end of the day, Monday Dec 9th. There will be an announcement both on the class website and also by email.
Dec 6, 2019
There will be a review session tomorrow, Saturday Dec 7th, 3 - 5PM in PS H-153. The review will be recorded and posted on the class website later in the evening.
Dec 4, 2019
Still struggling with R/S? Do what Tyler did a few years ago



Dec 4, 2019
Material and Studying for the final exam: Material for the final exam is usually roughly 60% since the 3rd midterm and roughly 40% "cumulative". The cumulative part comes from big topics since the start of the semester. Look at the old final exams for a guide as to what these are, but they are usually: molecular orbitals, solving a spectrum problem, acid/base reactions, and perhaps some alkane conformations. For more study advice, CLICK HERE.
Dec 4, 2019
Some of the homework problems on the homework site were switched to "non-credit" if they included reactions that were not on the 3rd midterm. You ARE responsible for this material for the final exam. I have switched all of the non-credit alkene problem back to credit so that you will see them when you go to the appropriate sections on the alkenes homework, "Alkene Products", "Alkene Reagents" and some of the "Cumulative Problems".
Dec 4, 2019
My completed versions of the notes for Radiucal Reactions, Chirality and Halides, as far as we will cover this semester, have been loaded on the lecture notes page. You can use these to make sure that your notes have no errors or gaps.  More...
Dec 4, 2019
END OF SEMESTER: It is clear that we will not finish the last section of the notes this semester. We WILL finish substitution reactions, but not eliminations reactions. We will go up to the end of page 13 of the notes. We will continue where we left off next semester. You should SKIP the "E2 Eliminations" and "Eliminations versus Substitutions" sections of the homework. I have made all of the Cumulative Halides Problems that include eliminations as "non-credit" and so you will not see them on the Cumulative Problems page unless you clock the non-Credit tab, so don't do that. I did the same for the elimination problems on the practice exams.
Dec 3, 2019
We occasionally do education research experiments in these classes, and we will run TWO this semester. You are all invited to participate in BOTH of them.

Please read this carefully because there will be a lot going on in this last week in this class, you will be asked to complete MORE THAN ONE survey and evaluation for this class, it will be easy to get confused!

FIRST, you should have received an invitation to complete the usual class evaluation from the School of Molecular Sciences. Please complete that evaluation, I will be evaluated based on your responses and if nobody responds I might get into trouble! This standard course evaluation is DIFFERENT form the other surveys you will asked to participate in fro this class, and also DIFFERENT from any evaluations of surveys you completed in your lab course. You do not receive class credit for completing the standard evaluation, but I still hope that you will do it

SECOND, we are interested in understanding what you feel about the lecture course and organic chemistry learning in general. To do this we invite you to complete a survey. The survey is not too long, it should take you no more than 15 minutes to complete it. If you agree to participate in this project by completing the survey and agreeing to allow us to use your class data for analysis, you will receive 10 points extra credit. If you participate, you will be anonymous in the study. We are not interested in individual students, we are only interested in the overall class trends. CLICK HERE to complete this survey. You MUST complete this survey before the end of the day, Friday, December 6th in order to each class credit. Once you start the survey, don't stop to take a long break, since you may be timed out and you will not receive the proper credit. THIS SURVEY IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE ONE YOU COMPLETED IN LAB, BUT THIS ONE REFERS TO THE LECTURE COUSRE (if you see the word "lab" in the introduction page to the survey, ignore it, this one is for LECTURE)

THIRD, we are interested in understanding what you think of the class HOMEWORK SITE. To do this we will invite you to complete AN ADDITIONAL survey. The survey will also be not too long, it should take you no more than 15 minutes to complete it. If you agree to participate in this project by completing the survey and agreeing to allow us to use your class data for analysis, you will receive AN ADDITIONAL 10 points extra credit (10 points for each survey). If you participate, you will again be anonymous in the study. We are not interested in individual students, we are only interested in the overall class trends. This second survey has NOT YET BEEN released, we will post more information on it later this week.

So please complete the standard course evaluation and the FIRST survey as soon as you can, and look for information on the second survey later in the week.

Dec 3, 2019
The Current Points page has been updated AGAIN, this time with your scores for quizzes 1 - 13, and also for midterms #1 - #3 after all regrades, Click HERE. The way that you final point total for the semester will be determined is also included, so please read that part carefully. PLEASE ALSO CHECK FOR ANY ERRORS!  More...
Dec 1, 2019
The Current Points page has been updated with your scores for quizzes 1 - 13, and also for midterms #1 and #2 after all regrades, Click HERE. PLEASE CHECK FOR ANY ERRORS!  More...
Dec 1, 2019
To see the answer to to Quiz #13, Click HERE. There is one more quiz, due next Sunday, December 8th, 6PM. it is a survey quiz. To see the final Quiz #14, Click HERE.
Remember, you are allowed to drop four quizzes this semester and so if you are going out of town, have computer problems etc., this is what the dropped quizzes are for.

Nov 25, 2019
The results for midterm #3 are now posted on the Exam Scores page.w  More...
Nov 22, 2019
To see the new Quiz #13, Click HERE. The deadline for submission of Quiz #13 is 6PM, Sunday Nov. 24th.
Remember, you are allowed to drop four quizzes this semester and so if you are going out of town, have computer problems etc., this is what the dropped quizzes are for.

Nov 18, 2019
A Summer Research Opportunity
Caltech is excited to announce two summer research opportunities available to continuing undergraduate students. Questions about these programs can be directed to Carol Casey at casey@caltech.edu or (626) 395-2887.

WAVE FELLOWS PROGRAM
The WAVE Fellows program provides support for talented undergraduates intent on pursuing a Ph.D. to conduct a 10-week summer research project at Caltech.
The WAVE Fellows program aims to foster diversity by increasing the participation of underrepresented students in science and engineering Ph.D. programs and to make Caltech's programs more visible and accessible to students not traditionally exposed to Caltech. The program is extended, but not limited, to underrepresented minorities, women, first-generation college students, geographically underrepresented students, educationally and financially disadvantaged students, and students with disabilities.
Eligibility: Students must be current sophomores through non-graduating seniors and must be U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, or students with DACA status. A minimum GPA of 3.2 is required.
Competitive applicants will have completed sophomore-level courses in desired research field, have demonstrated through academic and/or co-curricular activities a passion for research, and can articulate how their research interests align with Caltech's research areas. The most competitive applicants will have prior research experience.
Support: WAVE Fellows will receive a $6420 award for the ten-week program. An additional housing/travel supplement of $580 will be provided.
Application: Online applications are due January 12, 2020.
For more information, visit http://www.sfp.caltech.edu/programs/wavefellows

AMGEN SCHOLARS PROGRAM
Caltech's Amgen Scholars Program is geared towards students in biology, chemistry, and biotechnology fields. Some of these fields include biology, biochemistry, bioengineering, medical engineering, chemical and biomolecular engineering, and chemistry.
Eligibility: Students must be current sophomores through non-graduating seniors, must be attending a four-year university in the US at time of application, and must be U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, or students with DACA status. A minimum GPA of 3.2 is required.
Support: Amgen Scholars will receive a $6420 award, round-trip air transportation, and campus housing.
Application: Online applications are due February 15, 2020.
For more information, please visit www.sfp.caltech.edu/programs/amgen_scholars

Nov 17, 2019
As of 9:15PM, Sunday, the homework site is now fixed again, everything works!
Nov 17, 2019
To see the answer key for Quiz #12, Click HERE.

Nov 17, 2019
It seems that structure input to the homework site via Marvin sketch is temporarily broken, and to be honest, at this time on a Sunday it is very unlikely that it will be fixed before tomorrow morning, apologies!

For now, just use the "Learning" button and manually take note of whether you get the problems correct or not.

Nobody will lose credit for this at the end of the, I will make sure that you don't lose homework credit because of this issue.

Nov 17, 2019
To see a recording of today's review session, Click HERE.
Nov 16, 2019
To see the answer key for Quiz #11, Click HERE.
To see the new Quiz #12, Click HERE. The deadline for submission of Quiz #11 is 6PM, Sunday Nov. 17th. Apologies for posting this so late! Question 3 in the quiz has a reaction that will not be on the test, and so you can give any answer to question 3, all will be graded as correct for this question (only).

Remember, you are allowed to drop four quizzes this semester and so if you are going out of town, have computer problems etc., this is what the dropped quizzes are for.

Nov 15, 2019
CLARIFICATION: You should do ALL of the problems in the Alkenes section of the homework site. The problems you do not need to do have been converted to "non-credit" questions. You can still see these in each subsection by clicking on the non-credit questions tab, but don't bother to do that, just do all of the questions in each subsection you see as you open them.
Nov 15, 2019
Today's lecture has been posted on the Recorded lectures page. Although this material will not be on the test in Monday, the very end part of the Alkenes notes, that talks about how to learn the reactions, is important for the test on Monday, and so I have recorded a brief "lecture" that goes over and completes this part of the notes.It is on the recorded lectures page and is called Lecture 32A, "Alkenes Wrap Up". Everybody should watch this short recording to complete their Alkenes notes since I think it is useful (it is short).  More...
Nov 15, 2019
Midterm #3 is this coming Monday, Nov 18th. All Regular class students take the test in LS A-191, all hybrid students MUST go to PS H-152 to take the test. When you go to the exam room on Monday AM, do NOT SIT ON THE FRONT ROW. This row needs to be kept empty for students who arrive late, or they will be climbing all over everybody trying to find a seat.

There will be a pre-test review session tomorrow, Saturday 3 - 5PM, in PS H-151. Review sessions tend to be spent mostly solving problems rather than re-lecturing. The review session will be recorded and posted on the class website within a couple of hours of it ending.

The test will cover NMR Spectroscopy, Reactions and Alkenes up to the end of section 4.5 in the Alkenes notes.

There are practice exams both on the homework site and on the class website, use those as a guide to how the tests work in this class.

Nov 15, 2019
My completed versions of the notes for Reactions and Alkenes have been loaded on the lecture notes page. You can use these to make sure that your notes have no errors or gaps.  More...
Nov 14, 2019
Midterm #3 is this coming Monday, I don't like to test students on material that was covered only the Friday before a test, therefore, midterm #3 will cover all new material up to and including alkenes section 4.5, on page 16 of the Alkenes notes. There will be no reactions from sections 4.6 or 4.7 on the midterm, no additions involving Br2 or involving H2. I have temporarily removed all problems involving these reactions from the homework site by converting them to "non-credit" problems.
Nov 14, 2019
Office hours tomorrow, Friday Nov 14th, will be 8:30 - 9:30AM, not 11AM, I have another important meeting at 11:00A I can't get out of.
Nov 13, 2019
The recording software failed to work today, therefore, I had to record the lecture in my office. When this happens the recorded lecture is always shorter than the in-class lecture.  More...
Nov 12, 2019
Office hours today will be 11AM - 11:30AM, not noon, I have an important meeting at 11:30AM.
Nov 8, 2019
To see the answer key for Quiz #10, Click HERE.
To see the new Quiz #11, Click HERE. The deadline for submission of Quiz #11 is 6PM, Sunday Nov. 10th.

Remember, you are allowed to drop four quizzes this semester and so if you are going out of town, have computer problems etc., this is what the dropped quizzes are for.

Nov 3, 2019
Research/Intern Opportunity The 2019-2020 Pfizer Academic-Industrial Relations Diversity fellowship program is looking for enthusiastic undergraduates from historically under-represented ethnic groups to participate in a research fellowship program. Recipients receive a $20K fellowship divided into $17K for the student stipend and $3000 that may be used for lab and travel costs. The student is required to write a report of his/her progress in May 2020 and will be invited to present his/her research at the Pfizer La Jolla site at the end of the 2020 summer. The Application deadline is November 15th, 2019.

To download the program flyer, Click HERE.
To download the cover letter, Click HERE.
To download the application form, Click HERE.


Nov 1, 2019
To see the answer key for Quiz #9, Click HERE.
To see the new Quiz #10, Click HERE. The deadline for submission of Quiz #10 is 6PM, Sunday Nov 3rd.

Remember, you are allowed to drop four quizzes this semester and so if you are going out of town, have computer problems etc., this is what the dropped quizzes are for.

Nov 1, 2019
Apologies, something very last minute has come up and I will have to cancel 11AM - Noon office hours today, Friday Nov 1st. If you still need to pick up your midterm 2, you will be able to do so at the LRC today until noon. Apologies, I rarely have to cancel office hours, but I can't avoid it today.
Oct 31, 2019
The projector failed to work yesterday in lecture, therefore, I had to record the lecture in my office. When this happens the recorded lecture is always shorter than the in-class lecture because I don't have to draw everything on the board, and so the recorded lecture today is short.  More...
Oct 26, 2019
The results for midterm #2 are now posted on the Exam Scores page.  More...
Oct 24, 2019
To see the answer key for Quiz #8, Click HERE.
To see the new Quiz #9, Click HERE. The deadline for submission of Quiz #9 is 6PM, Sunday Oct. 27th.

Remember, you are allowed to drop four quizzes this semester and so if you are going out of town, have computer problems etc., this is what the dropped quizzes are for.

Oct 24, 2019
A change to office hours: Thursday office hours are online, not onground. This seems to have caused some confusion, therefore, for the rest of the semester, Thursday office hours for Tempe regular class and hybrid class ONGROUND students will be in PS D-126 and from 4PM - 5PM. The 5PM - 6PM time will be reserved for students in the true online (not hybrid) classes. I also teach the online students in completely different classes,
Oct 22, 2019
To see a short but important video message about the homework site, Click HERE.
Oct 19, 2019
To see a recording of yesterday's review session, Click HERE.
Oct 18, 2019
My completed versions of the notes for Resonance, Alkanes and Spectroscopy have been loaded on the lecture notes page. You can use these to make sure that your notes have no errors or gaps.  More...
Oct 18, 2019
To see the new Quiz #8, Click HERE. The deadline for submission of Quiz #8 is 6PM, Sunday Oct. 20th.

Remember, you are allowed to drop four quizzes this semester and so if you are going out of town, have computer problems etc., this is what the dropped quizzes are for.

Oct 17, 2019
Practice exams are for practice, they are not for learning! You will not learn to do organic chemistry from the practice exams, the keys have no explanations, you can only learn from the homework site. If you are doing the practice exams instead of doing the homework then I am afraid that you are doing it wrong!
Oct 17, 2019
You are allowed to use a model kit in the test on Monday, HOWEVER, don't bring your full kit. Bring a pre-built cyclohexane with a couple of substituents on it that you can quickly alter, and/or two sp3 hybridized carbons with substituents on them that you can rotate for Newman projections. Don't try to assemble these in the exam, it will take too long and there will be atoms and bonds all over the floor!
Oct 17, 2019
Midterm #2 is this coming Monday, Oct. 21st. All Regular class students take the test in LS A-191, all hybrid students MUST go to PS H-152 to take the test. When you go to the exam room on Monday AM, do NOT SIT ON THE FRONT ROW. This row needs to be kept empty for students who arrive late, or they will be climbing all over everybody trying to find a seat.

There will be a pre-test review session tomorrow, Friday 3 - 5PM, in our regular classroom, LS A-191. Review sessions tend to be spent mostly solving problems rather than re-lecturing. The review session will be recorded and posted on the class website within a couple of hours of it ending.

The test will cover Resonance, Alkanes and IR spectrocopy, there will be NO NMR Spectroscopy on the test.

There are practice exams both on the homework site and on the class website, use those as a guide to how the tests work in this class.

Oct 11, 2019
The projector failed to work today in lecture, therefore, I had to record the lecture in my office. When this happens the recorded lecture is always shorter than the in-class lecture because I don't have to draw everything on the board, and so the recorded lecture today is short.  More...
Oct 11, 2019
The Current Points page has been updated AGAIN with your scores for quizzes 1 - 7, and also for midterm #1 after all regrades, Click HERE. This is an updated version compared to the one posted yesterday that has some more corrected midterm 1 scores. Please makes sure that you are looking at the latest version of this file, the one that indicates that it was updated on Friday October 11th. Note that regraded midterm #1 scores are summarized in this summary ONLY, I have not gone back to the original list on the exam scores pages to update those too, take the Current Points page as the definitive list of points. PLEASE CHECK FOR ANY ERRORS!  More...
Oct 10, 2019
To see the answer key for Quiz #7, Click HERE. There is NO QUIZ this week due to Fall Break!
Oct 10, 2019
The Current Points page has been updated with your scores for quizzes 1 - 7, and also for midterm #1 after all regrades, Click HERE. Note that regraded midterm #1 scores are summarized in this summary ONLY, I have not gone back to the original list on the exam scores pages to update those too, take the Current Points page as the definitive list of points. PLEASE CHECK FOR ANY ERRORS!  More...
Sept 29, 2019
To see the answer key for Quiz #6, Click HERE.
To see the new Quiz #7, Click HERE. The deadline for submission of Quiz #7 is 6PM, Sunday Oct. 6th.

Remember, you are allowed to drop four quizzes this semester and so if you are going out of town, have computer problems etc., this is what the dropped quizzes are for.

Sept 29, 2019
The results for midterm #1 are now posted on the Exam Scores page.  More...
Sept 27, 2019
Today's lecture has been posted in the Recorded Lectures page. For some reason the audio quality is not great for this lecture, turn your volume up loud!  More...
Sept 27, 2019
To see the new Quiz #6, Click HERE. The deadline for submission of Quiz #6 is 6PM, Sunday Sept 29th.

Remember, you are allowed to drop four quizzes this semester and so if you are going out of town, have computer problems, have to work etc., or just forget to submit the quiz, this is what the dropped quizzes are for.

Sept 22, 2019
Here is some information about an information sessions on a scholarship opportiunity you migth be interested in.

Summer Research Opportunities for STEM Undergrads – Oct 29 and Oct 30
The Office of National Scholarships Advisement will provide an overview of a range of summer research opportunities for high-achieving STEM majors, including the Amgen Scholars program, DAAD-RISE for research internships in Germany, NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates, and the Boren Scholarships for foreign language study. Deadlines vary, but most are in December/January. Tuesday, Oct 29 at 4:30 pm in Honors Hall 242; and Wednesday, Oct 30 at 4:30 pm in Honors Hall 242 – visit https://onsa.asu.edu/info-sessions to RSVP.

Sept 22, 2019
To see the answer key for Quiz #5, Click HERE.
Sept 21, 2019
To see a recording of today's review session, Click HERE.
Sept 15, 2019
There was a small error in Question 4 on the latest Quiz 5, this has now been corrected in the latest version of the quiz, Click HERE. The deadline for submission of Quiz #5 is 6PM, Sunday Sept 22nd.

Remember, you are allowed to drop four quizzes this semester and so if you are going out of town, have computer problems, have to work etc., or just forget to submit the quiz, this is what the dropped quizzes are for.

Sept 20, 2019
Midterm #1 is this coming Monday, Sept. 23rd. All Regular class students take the test in LS A-191, all hybrid students MUST go to PS H-152 to take the test. When you go to the exam room on Monday AM, do NOT SIT ON THE FRONT ROW. This row needs to be kept empty for students who arrive late, or they will be climbing all over everybody trying to find a seat.

There will be a pre-test review session Saturday 3 - 5PM in S A-191. Review sessions tend to be spent mostly solving problems rather than re-lecturing. The review session will be recorded and posted on the class website within a couple of hours of it ending.

The test will cover the first two sections of the notes Bonding I and Bonding II, there will be NO RESONANCE on the test.

There are practice exams both on the homework site and on the class website, use those as a guide to how the tests work in this class.

Sept 17, 2019
My completed version of the notes for Bonding II has been loaded on the lecture notes page. You can use these to make sure that your notes have no errors or gaps.  More...
Sept 17, 2019
Midterm Exam #1 is Monday, Sept. 23rd, 7:30 - 8:30AM. The material for midterm 1 will be the first 2 sections of the notes, so no resonance on the midterm.
Sept 15, 2019
To see the answer key for Quiz #4, Click HERE.
To see the new Quiz #5, Click HERE. The deadline for submission of Quiz #5 is 6PM, Sunday Sept 22nd.

Remember, you are allowed to drop four quizzes this semester and so if you are going out of town, have computer problems, have to work etc., or just forget to submit the quiz, this is what the dropped quizzes are for.

Sept 15, 2019
The Current Points page has been updated with your scores for quizzes 1 - 4, Click HERE. Please check top make sure there are no errors, thanks!  More...
Sept 11, 2019
To see the answer key for Quiz #3, Click HERE.
To see the new Quiz #4, Click HERE. The deadline for submission of Quiz #4 is 6PM, Sunday Sept 15th.

Remember, you are allowed to drop four quizzes this semester and so if you are going out of town, have computer problems, have to work etc., or just forget to submit the quiz, this is what the dropped quizzes are for.

Sept 8, 2019
My completed version of the notes for Bonding I has been loaded on the lecture notes page. You can use these to make sure that your notes have no errors or gaps.  More...
Sept 5, 2019
To see the answer key for Quiz #1, Click HERE.
To see the answer key for Quiz #2, Click HERE.
To see the new Quiz #3, Click HERE. The deadline for submission of Quiz #3 is 6PM, Sunday Sept 8th.

Remember, you are allowed to drop four quizzes this semester and so if you are going out of town, have computer problems etc., this is what the dropped quizzes are for.

Sept 5, 2019
The Current Points page has been updated with your scores for quizzes 1 and 2, Click HERE. Please check top make sure there are no errors, thanks!  More...
Sept 4, 2019
Today in class the projector refused to work, and so I had to give today's lecture on the whiteboard. Therefore I had to re-record the lecture in my office. When this happens I always find that the lecture in my office is shorter than 50 minutes, because I don't have to take time to erase the board etc. This lecture is now on the recorded lectures page.

It was a particularly annoying day to lose the projector since some of what we talked about today really need to be seen in 3-dimensions, via projector. I included this in teh lecture that I recorded at my desk, but for those in class, here are some short videos that show what we talked about today:
•  Tetrahedral Geometry
•  Trigonal Planar Geometry
•  Pi-Bonds and Anti-Bonds
•  Visualizing the sigma- and pi-bonds in ethylene using the HGS model kit
More...

Aug 30, 2019
To see Quiz #2, Click HERE.
You will not able to submit Quiz #2 until the deadline for Quiz #1 has passed which will be midnight tonight, Friday Aug 30th. Quiz #2 must be submitted by 6PM, Sunday Sept 1st. The deadlines for all quizzes for the rest of the semester will be Sunday at 6PM.
Remember, you are allowed to drop FOUR quizzes this semester and so if you are going out of town, have compter problems etc., this is what the dropped quizzes are for.

Aug 29, 2019
You can now submit Quiz #1, click the "Submit Quiz" link in the menubar at the top of this page. Quiz #1, a syllabus quiz, must be submitted by the end of the day tomorrow, Friday Aug 30th. After that, ALL quizzes will be due at 6PM each SUNDAY. To see how the quizzes work in this class Click HERE.
(Note, this video was for my spring 2019 class, but the instructions are identical for the fall 2019 class, but the dates you will see in this video are obviously incorrect).

Aug 26, 2019
The third lecture has been posted in the Recorded Lectures page. From now one I will not be announcing the posting of lectures, please just look on the recorded lectures page. Usually I post lectures the same morning that they are recorded,. but if I get busy it can take until the end of the day. If the lecture file is not there after 5PM felel free to send me an email to make sure that I haven't forgotten!  More...
Aug 27, 2019
The Quiz Submit link is now open, to see how the quizzes work in this class Click HERE.
(Note, this video was for my spring 2019 class, but the instructions are identical for the fall 2019 class, but the dates you will see in this video are obviously incorrect).
Quiz #1, a syllabus quiz, must be submitted by the end of the day tomorrow, Friday Aug 30th. After that, ALL quizzes will be due at 6PM each SUNDAY. I will post Quiz #2, which will be a chemistry quiz on soon.

Aug 27, 2019
To see Quiz #1, Click HERE.
Quiz #1 must be submitted by the end of the day FRIDAY Aug 30th (i.e. before 11:59PM). The quiz submission tab at the top of this page will not be functional until the middle of the day Thursday August 29th, i.e. after the drop/add deadline.
Aug 26, 2019
The second lecture has been posted in the Recorded Lectures page.  More...
Aug 23, 2019
The first lecture has been posted in the Recorded Lectures page.  More...
Aug 23, 2019
To see the introductory video for this course, Click HERE.
To see the video for this course with information specific to the hybrid section students, Click HERE.

Aug 22, 2019
There was a small typo on the syllabus that was posted this afternoon, the deadline for completion of the homework was given as December 4th, but it will actually be December 10th. Thanks to a student for bringing this to my attention.
Aug 22, 2019
The most important part of this course is the homework site, which is designed specifically for this class. To see a short video that shows you how to use the site, Click HERE.
Aug 22, 2019
The syllabus is now available, Click HERE to download a pdf version.
Aug 21, 2019
This class uses "gapped notes". You MUST buy a copy of these from the bookstore, they take the place of a textbook, which is not required for this class. Gapped notes from a previous semester WILL NOT WORK, since I tend to change them at least a little bit every semester.
Aug 21, 2019
The class has a Facebook page, click HERE.
Aug 21, 2019
This class does NOT use a textbook. This does not mean that you cannot use a textbook, by all means get one if you would like a reference book. A good book is Organic Chemistry by Paula Bruice, however, just about all of the organic chemistry textbooks are the same. Used older editions of textbooks are a just as good as the most recent editions and are available for just a few dollars on Amazon. It should be easy for you to find the appropriate reading and problems that relate to the material that we are covering in any textbook, although some textbooks do not cover pericyclic reactions, a second semester topic (the Bruice one does).

Many students will ask me if they should get the textbook. Unfortunately I am not able to give a satisfactory answer, since different students have very different needs. Some students really need to study from a textbook and appreciate learning a topic from a different perspective. Some students want a permanent textbook to study for the MCAT, for example. You have to make your own decision on this I am afraid. However, as mentioned above, I have found that most students in my classes tend not use the textbook.

This course does NOT USE A CLICKER, and you do NOT NEED the any additional books that might be recommended by the bookstore.

Note that the lab is a separate course, check your lab course website for requirements for that course.


Aug 21, 2019
A Molecular Model Kit, IS REQUIRED for CHM 233. The best kits are the HGS 1013Alpha kit and the HGS 1003Alpha kit. The HGS 1013Alpha kit is available at the ASU bookstore. The least expensive place to buy the 1013Alpha kit seems to be direct from the manufacturer.

Do not buy ANY OTHER MODEL KIT, in particular, the Prentice Hall Molecular Model Set For Organic Chemistry (or other kits like it), it makes pretty models but is terrible for CHM 233.

Aug 21, 2019
It is not possible for me to give an override into this class since I am not allowed to override the reserved seat assignments or the room capacity. If you really want to get into this class, come during the first week and be persistent in trying to register online. There will be a lot of drop/add activity during the first week, persistence usually pays off. Remember that the class is offered both in the regular onground lecture format and also as an online/hybrid version. Both classes are basically identical. If you are registered for the online/hybrid class you are welcome to attend lecture with the regular class.